Grain door



Feb. 6, 1934. J w H|LTZ 1,945,974

GRAIN DOOR Filed Dec. 1, 1932 Patented Feb. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application December 1,

3 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in grain doors, and the objects of my invention are to produce a durable and relatively inexpensive door to be used on freight cars in connection with the shipping of material in bulk, particularly grain of all sorts and coal, and to provide particular means to open and close said door, and in the following specification and the drawing forming part thereof, I shall describe and illustrate my invention, and what I claim as new will be set forth in the claims forming part of this specification.

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the outer side of my grain door with the outer panel removed, showing the sliding door in lowered position and the bottom door closed. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 22, Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are horizontal cross sections on the lines 33 and 44, respectively, Fig. 1; Fig. 4 showing in addition the preferred way of mounting my door behind the ordinary sliding car door, and Fig. 5 is a sectional detail showing on an enlarged scale the slide-controlled opening through which access is had to the operating lever.

In the drawing, like characters of reference refer to the same parts.

The grain doors now in use, are made of wood, and it is well-known that the life thereof is very short: this is because the doors, when the grain or other bulk material in the car is to be removed therefrom, are practically destroyed. The result is that these doors can only be used once, and therefore the wastage of lumber is a very serious item of expense. It is the object of my invention to avoid this wastage.

My door will be made of metal, and it embra'ces a frame 2, the members of which are preferably U-shaped in cross section asshown clearly in the sectional views, so as to reduce weight. This frame, together with the other parts to be herein-after more particularly referred to, is mounted in any suitable manner so as to be readily moved longitudinally of the car, and between the double walls 3 thereof, if such be used. If the car has one wall only, my door will be suitably positioned to operate adjacent the inner side of this one wall. Any suitable means may be used to mount my door. In Fig. 2 I have shown the door provided with a bracket 4 in which is journalled rollers or wheels 5, and these latter elements run along the lower flange of the rail 6 which is suitably secured to, for example, the roof '7 of the car. The construction just described is of course well-known.

Extending longitudinally of the frame 2 and 1932. Serial No. 645,279

spaced apart from the vertical side members of this frame are plates 8.

9 is the inside panel and 10 is the outside panel. These panels are suitably secured over the frame 2 by any suitable means, such as the rivets 11. 0 As shown clearly in Figs. 3 and 4, the plates 8 extend from one panel to the other, and are also riveted or otherwise secured thereto. The panel 9 has an upper opening 12, and a lower opening 13. Controlling the lower opening 13 is a door 14 which is pivotally connected at its upper portion to a cross bar 15 which is horizontally located and extends from one plate 8 to the other. This cross bar also extends from the inside panel to the outside panel, and is suit ably secured thereto. The means-shown to pivot the door 14 in place embraces hinges one leaf of each of which is secured to the cross bar 15 at the underside thereof and the other leaf of each of which is secured to the door 14 at the outer side thereof. Any suitable means may be employed to hold the door liclosed and the means illustrated for this purpose embraces a bolt .16 which extends into a pocket formed in the block 17 mounted in the bottom cross member of the frame 2. 18 is an arm pivoted to the door 14 on the outer side thereof, and flexibly coupled to the bolt 16. Without further description, it will be understood how the arm 18 is operated to lift the bolt 16 out of the block 17 to unlock the door 14.

19 is the sliding door, and the same normally closes the upper opening 12. This door operates against the inner side of the inside panel 9, and consequently there will be no space in any part of the door that can be plugged up with grain. As shown clearly in Figs. 3 and 4, portions of the inner sides of the plates 8 are vertically recessed as shown at 20, and these recesses in combination with the inner side of the inside panel 9 form channels or groves O in which the sliding door 19 operates.

Any suitable means may be employed to move the sliding door 19, and it must be understood that the means I illustrate for this purpose, and shall presently describe, I do not confine myself to. The illustrated means embraces a threaded bar 35 supported upon the cross bar 15 through the medium of a suitable step bearing 36. The upper end of this threaded bar is held in a suitable thrust bearing 37 carried by the flange 33. 38 is an internally-threaded member suitably carried by the door 19 on the outer side thereof, and operating through this member is the threaded bar 35. A ratchet 39 is carried by the lower end of the threaded bar 35, and also mounted on the lower end of the threaded bar is a conventional type oflever 40 which is provided with a suitable pawl 41 held by a spring 42 in contact with said ratchet. By manipulating the lever 40 the said pawl will be rotated and so rotate the threaded bar 35 and raise or lower the door 19.

The means illustrated to operate the threaded bar 35 is of course very Well-known, and the pawl of course may be manipulated to co -act with the ratchet 39 to turn the bar 35 in the desired direction.

In Fig. 5 I show an opening 43 closed by a sliding panel 44. This opening is opposite the lever 40 and by sliding the said panel to one side the said opening will be available for access to the lever 40.

Formed in the outside panel 10 is an opening 31 in alignment with the opening 12. Also formed in this outside panel is an opening 32 which is in alignment with the opening 13. Obviously by means of the opening 31, when the opening 12 is uncovered, any suitable means, such as a pneumatic spout or tube may be passed through the door and into the car.

Obviously the door 1% moves through the opening 32, and material passing through the opening 13 will pass through the opening 32.

The outside panel 10 is provided with fianges 33 and as which extend inwardly. The flange 33 surrounds completely the opening 31, whereas the flanges 34 surround the bottom and sides of the opening 32. The cross bar 15 performs the function of the lower flange of the opening 32 at the top of this opening. Since the flange 34 projects inwardly into contact with the inside panel 9, and since the cross bar 15 extends to this panel, no foreign matter can pass into the space between the panels 9 and 10 at the opening 32.

The flange 33 extends inwardly-as far as the outer side of the door 19, and since the grooves through which this door operates are not wide, practically no space is provided around the opening 31 to permit grain to pass at this point be tween the panels 9 and 10.

From Fig. 2 it will be seen that when the door 14 is closed it fits snugly against the outer side of the inside panel 9. And since the sides of this door, as well as the top and bottom thereof overlap the sides of the opening 13, no space is provided for leakage of grain. It is at this location, that is, at the opening 13, that the greatest pressure is exerted by the grain.

Of course changes in design may be made Where it is necessary, Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

While I may mount my door in any suitable manner, I prefer to locate it as close as possible to the ordinary car door 45. In order to do this I pass my door through a vertically split post 46 at one side, and countersink my door at the other side within a vertical post 4'? as shown in Fig. 4.

I prefer to move the door 19 vertically and to mount the door 14 on a horizontal fulcrum, though I may move these doors horizontally and still be within the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A car door embracing a frame; panels secured over said frame one at the inner side thereof and one at the outer side'thereof; the said panels being provided at their upper and lower portions with aligned openings; a pair of vertical plates located between said panels and vertically recessed at portions of their inner sides opposite the inner sides of said inside panel thus forming vertical grooves; a door mounted to vertically.

operate in said grooves and in contact with the outer side of said inside panel; means to move said door to open and close the upper opening in said inside panel; a horizontal cross bar located between said panels and above the lower opening therein, and a door hinged to said cross bar and adapted to open and close the lower opening in said inside panel.

2. In the car door as set forth in claim 1, the

provision of flanges forming part of said outside panel, certain of said flanges surrounding the upper opening in said outside panel and extending inwardly, and other flanges located at the sides and bottom of the lower opening in said outside panel and extending inwardly into contact with the inner side of said inside panel.

3. In a car door a frame embracing vertical and horizontal members; vertical plates spaced apart from said vertical members and vertically recessed on their inner sides, and panels secured over said frame one at the inner side thereof and one at the outer side thereof, the said panels being provided at their. upper and lower portions with aligned openings; inwardly-extending of said lower opening extending into contac with said horizontal cross bar. 7

JOHN WESLEY l-IILTZ. 

